A website is the best possible way to get your message out to potentially millions of people all over the world. It starts with picking a realiable website hosting provider to make your site’s files available 24/7 to anyone interested in your business, blog, hobby, or any other content you wish to share.
Even a modest website may require not just web pages, but databases, image galleries, videos, sound files, multiple scripts, applications, and more to function properly. You must choose a web hosting service that supports your online goals without breaking your budget.
There are several different types of web hosting available. It’s important to find the hosting plan that’s right for your purposes, technical skills, and your budget.
It can prevent future problems to estimate the kind of hardware and software support your website will need. This includes the amount of memory, bandwidth, and speed of page loads. You’ll want the operating system that best supports your application preferences and good management tools for administration of your site. There should also be provisions for email, security, and good technical support in the event of problems.
All hosts provide physical storage for your website files, but you’ll have to plan for the future as your site’s needs grow over time. More complex hosting environments will also require more advanced technical knowledge to manage. In addition, your site must perform well in terms of responsiveness in order to satisfy your users, or they may grow frustrated and go somewhere else.
Here are explanations of the different types of web hosting you can choose from.
Cheap hosting options are meant for those with tight budgets or minimal needs. It’s usually the most affordable form of hosting because the provider is able to spread the costs across multiple small accounts on the same server. This a cost-efficient option if you’re new to websites or have limited expectations, such as a business landing page or starter blog.
Cheap hosting plans can be adapted for many uses, such as connecting with family or friends, sharing photos or beliefs, or any purpose you have in mind that doesn’t require significant memory or needless cost.
The drawback to cheap hosting is that it doesn’t allow much room for growth if you run out of space when you’re storing graphics or video, or want to install more robust applications. If you find that you need more resources, you can spend a little more money and move up to a shared hosting plan.
Shared hosting means that your website files reside on the same server disks alongside other websites. It’s the most common choice because it’s the most affordable. Most current web hosts will also provide easy tools to manage your features and install applications, so that almost anyone can get started without the need for technical expertise.
Shared hosting is usually available in several package options as far as the resources you need. One of the benefits of shared hosting is that you can usually start very affordably and then upgrade to an account with greater resources when you’re ready.
The only downside to shared hosting is that the different sites are competing for the same hardware and use the same operating system. Another site’s spike in traffic could impact the performance of yours. And there’s always the possibility that some other website could crash the server or introduce malware. For maximum security and more freedom with your settings and software, you may want to move up to more reliable hosting plans as your budget allows.
Reseller packages are created for entrepreneurs who want to act as a web hosting service themselves. This means you can allocate your disk space into as many individual sites as you want, and resell them to consumers for any price you set. Each of your clients has access to tools to manage their own account, while you have overall visibility and control.
You can view reseller options as an investment for making money in a business of your own. There’s also the option of selling just enough space to cover your own hosting costs. Many online professionals like site developers or online marketers will offer free or low-cost websites as promotional giveaways or incentives to grow their own client base. Each of your clients gets their own fully functional shared hosting account, for either websites that you’ve created or to upload their own.
While reseller hosting is a great business option, it does require some knowledge of web hosting and business management. You’ll have to determine your own prices, do your own marketing, and manage your own users and user accounts. There may also be a need to set up a payment system so that you can collect from your own paying clients.
If you don’t need this as a business option, and determine that you need more substantial services than shared hosting provides, consider one of the following more advanced hosting plans.
Cloud hosting services allow the use of virtual environments where computing resources are allocated across multiple servers, called distributed computing. Since everything is managed automatically by the host company, other resources can be assigned to you as your need changes. This means you will have full use of your site capabilities whenever you require it, regardless of how heavy the demands on the network are or any individual server issues.
You can also upgrade or downgrade the services you need quickly and easily, allowing you to save costs if your traffic slows. Your website isn’t limited to a single server as with shared hosting, so there will be no external factors in your website’s stability and security. Cloud hosting is software-based so that your site performance is faster.
Each cloud hosting account runs and is managed separately, so you get your own independent framework in support of your site. You won’t have to worry about traffic spikes or competing websites.
Cloud hosting environments do require more knowledge of configuring websites and web applications than you have with shared hosting, and generally cost more. However, with cloud hosting you get a service that allows you a greater range of flexibility and customisation.
A host may also provide virtual private servers. You have control of your own personal server, but it exists virtually rather than physically. A VPS hosting package provides your own operating system with root access. You can configure your website environment from the operating system on up to specific features.
Although there may be other sites using the same services, there will be fewer of them and so less impact on your own performance. Think of a VPS as a stage between shared hosting and your own dedicated server. While typically more expensive than shared hosting, it’s also cheaper than leasing your own server.
This is a good option for those who want to develop their own custom applications to provide online services. If it’s your intention to provide SaaS (software as a service), then VPS hosting is an ideal choice. VPS technology provides superior performance and scalability. This is a good environment for busy companies of all kinds, since it provides fast speeds for multiple users as well as a stable and secure platform.
However, you must have the technical skills to set up and manage any changes or software options you need. Also, there is still the possibility that someone else’s traffic spikes could affect your own performance.
A dedicated server means you get your own physical server to set up and manage as you please. This provides you the best security and reliability as your server is a part of your host company’s network, usually located in a secure data centre. Use of your own physical server is the most expensive hosting option, but you have the freedom to configure it any way you want. Since no other clients can access your server, you have a secure environment and exclusive use of the hardware.
A dedicated server can handle the high demand of larger companies, sometimes in the hundreds of thousands of regular users without a loss of performance. Even if you run a very large company, you can save money by having your own dedicated server, as it saves you the cost of buying, maintaining, and upgrading your own.
Dedicated servers cost more than other plans but are the perfect solution for larger companies that need both optimum security and the ability to fine-tune their own robust, customised web solution. However, they will require more technical skills in configuration and management of both hardware and software.
In summary, you need to first have a clear idea of what you will need and what you can spend. You should be able to find a hosting provider that has a solution already in place for you. Everyone will have very different budgets and technical skills affecting their choice, but when you locate a web hosting provider that has the right hosting type, there are additional things to consider.
You want a hosting company that will allow you to upgrade your plan as your needs change. At some point you may run into technical issues, so you need to be sure that your host has a good customer service team. Uptime is also crucial, as your site isn’t doing much good if the public can’t reach it. Therefore, look for a company that guarantees 99% uptimes or more.
If you’re ready to launch a new site, or transfer an existing one to our servers, you’ll find that UKHost4u is a leading UK hosting provider for very good reason. We offer great prices and features in every hosting plan. You’ll find the services you need at affordable prices you can depend on. For more information, email our sales team at sales@ukhost4u.com or call 0330 088 5790 or +44.131 541 23 28 to explore your custom web hosting options.
